Big Ideas -Comprehension requires and enhances critical thinking and is constructed through the intentional interaction between reader and text Concepts -Essential content of text, including literary elements and devices, inform meaning -Textual features and organization inform meaning Competencies -Identify and distinguish between components of fiction and non-fiction texts -Use organizational features of text (e.g. sequence, question/answer, comparison/contrast, cause/effect, problem/solution) to clarify and enhance meaning

-cause

-effect

The students will identify key words or phrases that clue in on cause and effect relationships in sentences and reading passages with 90% accuracy.

The students will identify important cause and effect relationships when given a reading passage on their level with 90% accuracy with being able to, verbally or in writing, explain the rationale. 

3 Days--> each day approx. 30 minutes lessons (to be reviewed in small groups following the lesson and retaught if needed)

• green crayon
• red crayon
• book "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie"
• large construction paper to make Cause and Effect posters
• white board materials for each student
• Cause and Effect Keywords Poster (if small, make four to scatter around room)
• Matching Cause and Effect Sentence Slips
• Cause and Effect Color Coding Worksheet
• Reading Passage with Questions
• Self Assessment Reflection
• Cause and Effect Graphic Organizers
• Optional: Computers for students to use the interactive graphic organizers and to type final copy of written project
• Writing Rubric
• Self and Peer Editing Checklist

W:	The students will be shown the Essential Question at the beginning of the lesson so they are aware of what they will be learning.  In addition, the teacher will show the students the final assessment of the lesson to show the students what they will be responsible for completing at the end of the lesson.  Finally, the students will view a self-reflection that they will also be responsible for completing.  This self-reflection will assess the students' own views on their understanding of the topic and their academic behaviors during the lesson.  The class will discuss the importance of cause and effect relationships and how it is useful in everyday life (preventing events, causing events, etc).
H:	The students' interest and enthusiasm will be hooked through a read aloud of a picture book.  The students will then be encouraged to develop their own cause and effect trend relationship mirroring the book.  The students will have to develop an argument for why they feel their cause and effect relationship is reasonable. In addition, some of the worksheets can be adapted to include student names to increase interest and attention.
E:	The students will be applying the cause and effect relationship to their own lives to find meaning.  The students will identify key words, causes, and effects in sentences that are geared toward the specific group of students (using their names and interests in the sentences to maintain attention and explore real world situations).  The students will practice categorizing and classifying causes and effects independently. The students will also be assessed on the reading passage with questions and their written work.
R:	The students will be encouraged to correct their own mistakes through guided instruction as a form of reflection.  The students will also work together to appropriately discuss and defend their choices to refine and revise their thinking.  The students will be practicing/rehearsing the skills independently, in small groups, and in whole group discussions.
E:	The students will express their understanding in whole group discussions, small group work, and independent assessments.  The students will meaningfully self-reflect at the end of the lesson on their own understanding of the concept.  In addition, the students will self-reflect on their academic behaviors.
T:	The lesson will be tailored to students who will receive scaffolding during their reading of the reading passage to identify the cause and effect relationships within.  Also, the students will be learning orally, visually, kinesthetically, and multimodal.  The students will be grouped homogeneously for the small group work so that the stronger readers can assist the struggling readers so that the concept of cause and effect is underscored.
O:	The lesson will begin with a read aloud to hook students.  The lesson will follow a format of direction instruction followed by guided practice and small group/partner work.  The specific instruction will allow the students to successfully practice the skills with peers before attempting the skill independently.  This will then lead to an independent activity to assess individual understanding and mastery of the concept.  Throughout the days of the lesson, the students will continue to be informally assessed through teacher observation.  This will help with focusing small reading groups on a needed skill or concept within the lesson.

DAY ONE – 30 mins.

1. (Direct Instruction) The teacher will introduce the lesson and the essential question so students are aware of their expectations at the end of the lesson.
2. (Verbal and Visual Definition)The teacher will define the words cause and effect on separate posters with students’ assistance. 
3. (Metacognition/Modeling) The teacher will read aloud "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie" stopping frequently to model other reading strategies as well as point out cause and effect relationships within the book.  The teacher will ask guided questions to encourage higher level thinking reflective of Depth of Knowledge (DOK). Some questions will be answered on white boards and shared with peers.
   • What caused the mouse to _____________?
   • What effect will getting ____________________ have on the mouse?
   • Develop an effect for if we gave the mouse a cracker.
   • Develop a logical argument for why you chose the effect.
   4. (Think-Pair-Share)The teacher will ask the students to share cause and effect relationships that they remember from the book.  The students will Think-Pair-Share to reflect upon these relationships.
   5. (Linguistic/Visual/Application)The teacher will introduce keywords often used in cause and effect relationships.  The students will develop a cause and effect relationship sentence using each of the key words on their white boards.  If students struggle, the teacher will provide the cause and effect and ask the students to put it into a sentence with the keyword. 
   6. (Informal Assessment) The students will complete a matching activity to match cause and effect relationship sentences.  The teacher will quickly assess student understanding. 

DAY TWO- 30 mins.

1. (Recall) Students will recall as many cause and effect keywords as they can on their whiteboards to activate their knowledge. 
2. (Guided Whole Group/Modeling/Visual learning through color association) The students will receive a worksheet with various sentences that contain cause and effect relationships (the worksheet can be personalized with actual student names to increase interest and attention during lesson).  The class will read aloud the directions for circling the keywords in the sentence, underline the cause in green, and underline the effect in red.  The teacher will model the first example on the board.
3. (Partner Work/Active Engagement) The students will complete the remaining sentences with a partner and discuss their rationale for their choices.  The students will come to the board and share their answers with the class and demonstrate understanding.  Students will discuss answers with their rationales.  In addition, the teacher will guide students to notice any trends or patterns with the keywords (ie: the cause always comes after the keyword ‘because’). 
4. (Assessment) The students will be given a reading passage accompanied by questions related to cause and effect relationship within reading. Students will independently complete the questions to assess knowledge and understanding as a reading strategy.

DAY THREE-30-40 minutes

1. (Activating Strategy) The students will use their whiteboards to develop an effect for a cause that the teacher gives and vice versa. 
2. (Modeling) The students will be writing their own story similar to the set-up of “If You Give A Mouse A Cookie”.  The teacher will model choosing a main character and brainstorming ideas for the cause and effect writing through the use of interactive graphic organizers.  The students will assist in the development of the story.  The teacher will review the rubric with the students to provide clear expectations. 
3. (Independent Writing/ Assisted Learning) The students will begin brainstorming for their own cause and effect story based off of the rubric using one of the graphic organizers. 
4. (Assessment—after given time to complete the writing process including peer editing) The students will publish their final copies of their writings.  The teacher will assess understanding and skills. 
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Day One Sentence Strips

Interactive Cause and Effect Slips.docx

Day Two Reading Passage (from SAS)

Cause/Effect Reading Passage Answer Key
Cause/Effect Reading Passage Student Version
Cause/Effect Reading Passage Teacher Version

 

Self Reflection

Self Assessment Reflection

 

Day Three Writing Rubric (from teacher web)

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie Writing Rubric

Color Coding Sentences

Cause and Effect Color Code Worksheet

 

Clue Words "Poster"

Cause and Effect Clue Words

Interactive Graphic Organizers for Cause and Effect Writing (from Read, Write, Think)

Cause and Effect GO 1
Cause and Effect GO 2
Cause and Effect GO 3

 

Self and Peer Editing Checklist (from Read, Write, Think)

Self and Peer Editing Checklist

 

Rachel Seckinger with supports from various resources (2012)

February 21, 2012